| Note:
Although based on the American bars for proportion, the RNZAF bars differed slightly in having no border specified. A border was normal, however, for those aircraft delivered later with bordered US bars. The RNZAF specification was for each bar to be one roundel radius long as half as wide. In the proportional notation used in this tutorial, that equates to 60 x 30. The RNZAF also specified that the bars should be placed equally about the roundel centre which, in theory, gave a slightly different overall shape to the US marking in which the top of the bars was lined up with the arms of the star. As can be seen form the previous descriptions, what was specified, and what actually occurred, differed. In the accompanying diagram the bars have been centred and drawn to 60 x 30 proportions, but this has been for simplification . Notable exceptions are in the Avenger applications in which the proportions are more in the order of 90 x 45. Dakotas also show some considerable variations at times
Now on to the individual ZP roundels and their origins.
ZPA
Proportional description 48/24 approximately. This roundel appears to have been the standard for P-40 fuselages for forward based aircraft from January 1944 onwards, and also probably for 3 and 5 SUs. The derivation from A to ZA to ZAP to ZPA is easily seen and is the basis for the proportional description given. It is known from actual scrapyard measurements that there was variation.. These measurements from two aircraft are 30 ½, 12 and 6 ½ inches. These give proportional descriptions of 47/26 and 48/25 respectively. The 6 ½ inch centre is corroborated by documentary evidence (see under ZA) and so there seems to have been some form of standard. The puzzle is why such odd measurements were used when a logical system would have changed a 30, 12, 6 inch A type roundel to 30, 12, 6 inch type ZA, ZAP and ZPA.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that NZ Defence Headquarters have advised that official RNZAF records for almost everything pre-1950, in relation to colour schemes and markings, no longer existed. |